Love is White
by Kaka-C
Summary: Shikamaru's tired from a long day, but how can anyone resist a good ol' snowball fight? Especially when the attacker is Ino... [ShikaIno]


Thiswas a giftfic for SnoOza, the person who psychoed me into loving ShikaIno and most of the side charas in Naruto. Originally it was meant for Christmas, but I couldn't finish it in time :$ Hope you enjoy it! Reviews much appreciated, especially constructive criticism - heh.

It's also half of a pairfic - please read Love is Orange by SnoOza - a humourous take on the Genins love lives when Maito Gai intereferes. Er, the plots are completely different though. We just paired it for fun

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of the characters, neither is this fanfiction used to generate any income for me :)**

Love is White

"Herd three… done!" Shikamaru heaved a contented sigh, and stretched, his spine cramping up from all the hours of herding deer back into the warm Nara barn. The freezing wind and deep snowdrifts made the job even harder, and as a result, he was both numb and sore at the same time.

Winter had come quickly this year, he reflected; creeping stealthily past autumn, the red-and-gold trees weakly giving way to frozen boughs and dead branches. There was a thick layer of snow coating everything, everywhere -

A snowball splatters on the barn door next to him, and Shikamaru feels the familiar twitch of impending doom creeping up his spine.

Yamanaka Ino, her cover blown, runs into the Nara yard with a superb attacking yell, hurling her second snowball with remarkable accuracy –

- and it splatters on a pitchfork just Shikamaru's height, _kawarimi no jutsu_, _damn it - _

Then she feels the heat of his glare from behind her, but she grins, because it's all part of the game, an extension from their childhood antics, and no less fun than before. Wheeling around, she taunts, "I purposely missed on the first one, Shikamaru," while backing away, trying to find a suitable way to gain more ammunition.

Shikamaru can feel the aches in his joints and the pain in his arms, but he also can see the twinkle in her blue eyes, the unmistakable challenge shining forth – an irresistible one, at that. He factors in everything, then sighs and decides that it's too hard to think – for where Ino is involved, his calculations always seem to go awry, his best plans fray and fall apart. He bends down, slowly, and takes his time in packing the tiny ice chips into a reasonably sized ball, feeling her battle aura flare up as each long second passes, until –

"_MOU! _You_ – " _and that's when the messy snowball explodes on her new pink jacket, showering her with cold, cold drops.

A palpable silence hangs in the courtyard for a split second, before she shrieks, and angry spots of colour bloom on her cheeks, then Shikamaru is running, running out the huge gates, but not towards his house, into the white fields instead, and Ino follows behind, steam pouring out of her ears, her hands suddenly full of snow and ice –

- and a grin breaks out on his face as he sees the third snowball whiz harmlessly over his head and into the stratosphere, _Ino must be really angry_ -

- but it's not so funny when he sinks to his waist in a snowdrift, and then Ino piles a veritable mountain of frost atop of his head, the coldness is soaking into his brain, he's freezing, he never expected this -

Ino smirks smugly, her anger spent, and she inspects the frozen wilderness in front of her, complete in its pureness…

- until his arms wrap themselves around her legs, and she's pulled down into the exact same position he _was_ in, just able to see his lopsided smile mocking her from above.

He bends down to whisper in her ear.

_I win._

And of course Ino will not take that lying down, she erupts into a frenzy of motion, clawing herself back up to ground level, only to meet Shikamaru's flurry of snowballs, unending, stinging –

- she gives back as good as she gets, it became a western-style showdown in the end, the two of them alternately laughing or shouting our war-cries, facing each other -

_his rational mind demands a good plan to ensure his success _

He retreats back, behind a tree, to catch a breather and formulate a new plan, like he always does –

- but only turns around to meet Ino herself, a spark dancing in her eyes, wicked grin gracing her lips, and suddenly those she leans in, and in, and _really really close in_, until their noses are almost touching -

_how could he forget that his rules don't apply to her _

- his brown eyes stare deeply into her blue ones and they are both mesmerized, caught by the spell that the snow and winter and youthful energy have cast upon them, and they are frozen in a picture perfect moment, before -

Something wet and cold trickles down his back, and Shikamaru realizes that she has shoved snow down his back while …

An outraged howl rings through the estate, and Ino whirls away with an embarrassed chuckle and puff of chakra.

- and perhaps, Shikamaru concedes, that he's lost this battle. But not the war. –

_the outcome won't be decided, not yet.. _

He reaches home as a sodden wreck, visibly relaxing in the warmth that is spilling out from the fireplace and is giving his frozen flesh relief.

His mother fusses over him, peeling the wet layers away from him, and ushering him off for a steaming hot bath, and for once, he's glad for her attention, because he may not have been able to do it himself –

- and at home, Ino stares out from her bathroom window, soaking in the glorious heat, seeing the beautiful snowflakes drift down,covering Konoha with itswhiteness, and she smiles, because more snow means -

- more battles tomorrow, Shikamaru notes, then he settles back in the tub and closes his eyes, and tries not to think about Ino.

_But soon._


End file.
